Scholz imposes sanctions covering the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline
The petition was backed by the three parties in the ruling coalition as well as opposition conservatives. It passed with 586 votes in favor, 100 against and seven abstentions, according to Bundestag Vice President Wolfgang Kubicki.
The petition states: “Alongside the broad economic isolation and decoupling of Russia from international markets, the most important and effective means to stop the Russian invasion is to intensify and speed up the delivery of effective weapons and complex systems including heavy arms”.
Germany’s government also received backing for all the steps it has taken to date, including sanctions against Russia, help with war crimes investigations and the reconstruction of the country’s infrastructure as it moves away from dependence on Russian energy supplies.
Leader of the Green parliamentary group, Britta Haßelmann, said at the beginning of a debate in the Bundestag: “Ukraine can rely on our support.”
She continued: “The war is destroying our European peace and security order and is an attack on our values of freedom and self-determination. The Russian government must immediately cease all hostilities.”
A Ukrainian soldier sits on a tank near Sloviansk, eastern Ukraine (Image: Getty)
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (Image: Getty)
Friedrich Merz, who leads the CDU/CSU parliamentary group, accused Chancellor Olaf Scholz of showing “uncertainty and weakness” during the Ukraine conflict.
He claimed Mr Scholz had stalled for weeks, left things open and given evasive answers.
Mr Merz added: “That is not prudence, that is hesitation, that is dithering and that is timidity.”
The German leader was not at the debate due to a visit to Japan.
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Friedrich Merz is Chairman of the CDU (Image: Getty)
The move represents a historic shift in Germany’s foreign policy (Image: Getty)
Mr Scholz had faced mounting criticism at home and abroad over his government’s failure to deliver heavy weapons to Ukraine to help it fend off Russian attacks while other Western countries stepped up shipments.
The Chancellor had argued that Germany’s own military’s stocks were too depleted to send any heavy battlefield weapons, such as tanks and howitzers, while those the German industry said it could supply could not be put into use easily.
When challenged over Germany’s failure to deliver heavy weapons, Mr Scholz said last week that NATO must avoid a direct military confrontation with Russia that could lead to a Third World War.
Mr Merz described the explanation as “just as irresponsible as they are wrong and misleading from our own historical experience” in comments made in the Bundestag on Thursday.
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Russian losses, according to Ukraine (Image: Express)
Critics have accused Mr Scholz of being too timid, with speculation this was due to a reluctance from colleagues within his Social Democrats (SPD) party who have long promoted Western rapprochement with Russia.
Finance Minister Christian Lindner said on Saturday Berlin must do everything in its power to help Ukraine win the war, but without endangering German security and NATO’s defence capability.
He said in a party conference speech in the German capital: “We must do everything in our power to help Ukraine win, but the limit of the ethical responsibility is endangering our own security and endangering the defence capability of NATO territory.
“But what is possible … must be undertaken pragmatically and quickly, together with our European partners.”
A Ukrainian main battle tank after firing near Yampil, eastern Ukraine (Image: Getty)
He rejected criticism aimed at Mr Scholz, saying: “Olaf Scholz is a responsible leader who weighs things up carefully and makes decisions on this basis.”
Conservative Party chairman Oiver Dowden told Sky News on Sunday that it would be good to see more hep for Ukraine from France and Germany.
Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has said British assessments have shown that about 15,000 Russian personnel have been killed in the war while 2,000 armored vehicles, including some 530 tanks, have been destroyed along with 60 helicopters and fighter jets.
Moscow has so far acknowledged that only 1,351 troops have been killed and 3,825 wounded.
However, Russia still has advanced capabilities and superior force numbers. US officials have said Russia has shown a willingness to keep pouring soldiers and units into the fight.
Kyiv said on Thursday that Russian troops stepped up their assaults on eastern and southern Ukraine.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has also threatened “lightning-fast” retaliation against any Western countries intervening on Ukraine’s behalf.
Washington said it hopes Ukrainian forces can not only repel Russia’s assault on the east, but weaken its military so it can no longer threaten neighbours.
Moscow responded by saying that amounts to NATO waging “proxy war” against it.
Putin, speaking in St Petersburg, said: “If someone intends to intervene in the ongoing events from the outside and create strategic threats for Russia that are unacceptable to us, they should know that our retaliatory strikes will be lightning-fast.”
“We have all the tools for this, things no one else can boast of having now. And we will not boast, we will use them if necessary. And I want everyone to know that.”
Mr Wallace said Putin’s remarks were a sign of “almost desperation”.
He added that having failed in nearly all his objectives, Putin was now seeking to consolidate control of occupied territory.
More than five million refugees have fled abroad since Russia launched what is calls its “special military operation” in Ukraine on February 24.
Moscow says its aim is to disarm its neighbour and defeat nationalists. The West calls that a bogus pretext for a war of aggression.
Additional reporting by Monika Pallenberg